what's the point?

[bxb32001]

Just recently played D2 again... bought LOD last month.... last played around year 2000 (yikes!). I'm basically a newbie... anyway, to the question.... I started playing on B.net (first time really) and really enjoyed it coz it was the first time I actually read something about character development... then I read about the loooooong wait for the 1.10 patch... I think I read somewhere that you'd have to start a new character for 1.10... if that's the case what's the point playing now and building up my char?

[ShadowHM]

To just enjoy the game?

Or not........only you can say what the point of playing is for you. :rolleyes:

[Quark]

... an assumption made (and spread) by many people.

In fact, you can use every character you had before 1.10. Whether or not they'll be worth using is something entirely different (since balance is changing, but we don't know what the results will be yet).

In 1.10 ladder characters will have to be new, but you don't sound like a devout ladder player anyway.

[bxb32001]

Aye, both of you are right.... perhaps I just needed the affirmation... perhaps I have been reading too much and just took myself out of just enjoying the game...

Honestly don't know what ladder playing is but if it's something that'll require a lotta time I guess I ain't the type...

thanks... ok, time to play :D

[CelticHound]

In 1.10 ladder characters will have to be new, but you don't sound like a devout ladder player anyway.

People I know aren't going to be playing ladder chars for the ladder. It'll be for the fresh, start-from-scratch economy.

-- CH

[Methraton]

From http://www.battle.net/diablo2exp/basics/ch...ctertypes.shtml

A Ladder Character is a special character type that is allowed to compete on the ladder. These characters are separate from Normal Characters with their own games and economy.

All characters created before 1.10 are considered normal characters. Characters created before 1.10 do not have the option of being ladder characters. You must create a new character after patch 1.10 is released, and mark it as a ladder character to create a ladder character.

Characters created before patch 1.10 will not be able to join games with these new ladder characters, although they will be able to play with other normal characters that predate the 1.10 patch or characters created after 1.10 that are not created as ladder characters. This means that for the duration of the ladder season - which is yet to be determined - these ladder characters will exist in a new separate economy from the other Battle.net Diablo II characters. After the ladder season is over, all ladder characters become normal characters. To be on the ladder for the next season, players must create a new character and mark it as ladder, after the new season has begun.

This means, there will be 4 types fo character all in all on the realms:

Normal Softcore/Hardcore
Ladder Softcore/Hardcore

The reason I would play a ladder character is, like CelticHound said, a new economy.


Methraton

[Roland]

The reason I would play a ladder character is, like CelticHound said, a new economy.


Methraton

As soon as the ladder season is over (what, a few months, tops?), and a new one begins, all your precious "new economy" characters will get dumped into the garbage with the rest of the world. :P So you get a "clean" economy for as long as the ladder season lasts, but no more. After that, you either make a NEW ladder character (and so on, and so on, endlessly) for the next season, or remain with your old ladder character (now no longer a ladder character) and put up with the current crap economy.

Unless Blizzard takes ALOT more efforts towards cleaning up the current economy, it won't be worth it in the long run. :P

Though I guess a few months of "clean economy" is better than none at all. But that raises the next question: how long before the new, "clean" economy becomes trashed like the current one?

[TaiDaishar]

But that raises the next question: how long before the new, "clean" economy becomes trashed like the current one?

Never will be, simply because they'll restart the ladder characters every few months, that's the entire beauty of it, there's no way in hell the ladder could be corrupted to the scales today's economy is.

[Artega]

Never will be, simply because they'll restart the ladder characters every few months, that's the entire beauty of it, there's no way in hell the ladder could be corrupted to the scales today's economy is.

Never say never.

[bxb32001]

Hmmm.... I was about to ask what the heck a ladder character was but then I had the Arreat Summit in another tab... Anyway I read it and the way I understand it, it's all about being ranked... huh? That's it? Get your name up there and, well, uhmmm... that's it?

Sorry, it's more a note to myself... meaning I should just go play and have some fun... but wait! Can't play with the current ladder characters... should this matter?

And , uhmm, does this mean that if I'm a pre-patch character I won't get those new uniques?

I'm guessing "no" to both (the last two) questions :D

[TaiDaishar]

Never say never.

Even if the duped, hacked and bugged item will invade the ladder characters it'll be:

A) On a smaller scale, not a whole lot of people will want to leave everything to start anew, prolly the most will be legit players

B) It'll exist for a shorter period of time than today's economy meaning there's no way in hell the ladder economy will ever be corrupted as the softcore economy is, a nice look is the hardcore economy, even though screwed up as well, it's as screwed as the softcore one since items in SC last forever and in HC they don't.

C) They'll reset the ladder every once in a while creating even though a massive spree of dupes will impact the realms, so all of the duped/hacked/bugged items will automatically transfer to the normal characters in thus disabling any chance the ladder will be as corrupted as the normal SC/HC will be no matter what (unless people find a way to get normal items to ladder items)

[ShadowHM]

Anyway I read it and the way I understand it, it's all about being ranked... huh? That's it? Get your name up there and, well, uhmmm... that's it?

should this matter?

And , uhmm, does this mean that if I'm a pre-patch character I won't get those new uniques?

Hi bxb32001

As I understand it, the 'ladder characters' will not interact with other characters, whether softcore or hardcore. And the point for some is to display skill/patience/time expended on the game to get your characters name on a ranking sheet. As CelticHound said, for a few, the point will be to play in what they fervently hope will be a cleaner environment.

For many, the presence of a new ladder will matter not at all. It certainly won't for me. I will continue to play private games with the folks I trust and I will or will not make new characters as I feel like it. My 'old' characters will convert to the v1.10 patch and struggle along (or not) depending on what the skill changes made with the patch are.

All of my characters will find (or not) the new uniques as they go along.

[DaethWalker]

Until Bliz actually goes after EBay sales, I really don't see any change.

The hackers will probably find a way to introduce both dupes and hacks to the ladder chars. And when the ladder resets, they'll tweak their scripts and start all over with the reset. No one will lose any item, it will just convert back to norm games.

So far, all Bliz has really done is delete a few cd keys. As much money as is involved in the selling and buying of duped/hacked/bugged items, this is like trying to patch "open-heart surgery" with chewing gum. And last I looked, McGyver wasn't working at Bliz. :P

If Bliz can take the "money" out of the duped/hacked/bugged items, we will then see the majority of these items disappear for good. But, as long as they can show a profit, forget it.